Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Stop unfair eviction - UC Irvine protest

Ironic: A landlord that studies seniors, and is unfairly evicting seniors from their homes. Join us to call out this hipocracy and stop the evictions: RSVP »

Orange County supporters,

I am writing this last-minute because evictions move fast. If you've ever gone through an eviction, or have friends or neighbors who have, you know what it's like. On Thursday afternoon I'm driving home to Orange County to help stop the unfair eviction of Theresa Flandrich, because I don't want her community to lose her. I need you to join me on Friday if you can.

Theresa has been fighting her eviction for over a year, and in that time has also worked hard to support others. She formed the first ever North Beach Tenants Association in her neighborhood in San Francisco. She attended Tenants Together's Tenant Leadership Institute last year and helped tenants from Santa Ana, San Diego, and all over California learn from her example of how to reach out to your neighbors, help tenants learn their rights, and organize to stop evictions. Now we need your help so Theresa can stay in her home.

Theresa at our Tenant Leadership Institute in 2015

I'm coming home to Orange County because her landlord, Annlia Paganini Hill, lives in Laguna Beach and is a researcher at UC Irvine, my alma mater. Last year she gave eviction notices to an entire building of tenants, many of them elderly, just so she can make a quick buck selling the units as condos. After a year of fighting, next week Theresa and other tenants are facing their day in court. There is still time for Hill to drop the eviction.

Ironically landlord Hill works as a researcher studying the question: "What makes people live to age 90 and beyond?" at UC Irvine. It is well documented that evictions cause serious health effects including increased risk of heart attacks for seniors. Hill has no place studying a population that she clearly cares so little about. As an alum of UC Irvine I'm ashamed that they would employ someone so hypocritical. Join us to pressure Hill at her place of employment to demand she drop the evictions.

Silvio is a 68 year old, nearly blind, Vietnam Vet who is the 2nd generation growing up in North Beach and his daughters, and grandchildren live 5 blocks away.

Theresa raised her grown son in the unit and took care of the previous landlord, Annlia's aunt, from 2006-until her death in 2010 and managed the building for the last year of her life.

Elaine, 88 years old, the upstairs neighbor for 25 years passed away in March. The stress of "having nowhere to go" exacerbated her heart condition.

Tenants and allies are asking her to drop the evictions and just let the tenants stay in their homes. TT member organization Housing Rights Committee is organizing in San Francisco and has supported these tenants in their fight, and asked us to spread the word about this action in Irvine. Join us to stop the evictions:

Moderation Policy

Tenants Together invites postings and comments from tenants, organizers, advocates and others who are committed to tenant rights. The views expressed on this blog are not necessarily the views or official positions of Tenants Together.

Tenants Together prohibits the posting of comments that are libelous, defamatory or obscene, threaten the safety of others, or violates any other person's copyrights, privacy rights and/or trademarks. Tenants Together reserves the right to remove content in its discretion.